Northwest meets Nepal: Fifth Floor shows furniture from El Dot

A new line of furniture by Seattle-based designers Leo and Lishu Rodriguez… (Michael Wells )

After graduating from Otis College of Art and Design in L.A. in 2001, designers Leo and Lishu Rodriguez launched the design-build company El Dot and moved to Nepal. That's where the couple began working with what would become their material of choice: a fast-growing bamboo that is abundant in that country.

Last year El Dot launched its first furniture collection, and on Saturday the firm's latest line of furniture, called the 2X collection, will premiere at Fifth Floor Gallery in L.A.'s Chinatown.

The 2X collection is composed of simple but striking furniture and accessories, including a great little bench shown with a small planter cantilevered on one side. The pieces are made by hand using bamboo from Nepal and Forest Stewardship Council-certified building materials from the Northwest.

The firm said it has earned certification from the B Corporation, a nonprofit that works with businesses to solve social and environmental problems.

You can meet the designers behind El Dot and enjoy some music and refreshments during the opening reception, 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday. All of El Dot's designs will be 15% off opening night. The regular price for that bench, lower left, is $640. The Sonia chair, bottom right, normally is $580. The Butterfly table, top right, normally is $360. The shelf is $250.

Corrected: An earlier version of this post implied that the small planter was built into the bench.

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